Regional HS Rankings

Welcome to the first week’s edition of Regional HS Rankings! As many teams have yet to begin play, we will be ranking the top 10 teams in each region. After this week most if not all states should have begun regular season play, we will be expanding the rankings to the top 20 teams.

New Jersey’s back to back Tournament of Champions winner, IHA has developed a culture of excellence in the Garden State. After last season’s victory, they have accumulated eight Tournament of Champion victories and twelve Non-Public championships. Last Year’s NJ Gatorade Player of the Year, 6-3 MH Anna Morris will lead the Blue Eagles one last time before moving on to Northwestern University to play NCAA Division 1 basketball.

2. North Allegheny (Wexford, Pennsylvania) Current Record: 0-0

The Tigers repeated as 4A champions in 2018 and will be heavily favored to win again this fall despite graduating four starters. Allegheny brings back six starters, three of whom have made Division I commitments including Junior OH Paige Miller, committed to William & Mary, senior S/RS Abby Miller, the 2018 Pennsylvania Gatorade POY; and 6-0 junior S/RS Paige Morningstar, a Louisville recruit.

3. Victor (Victor, New York) Current Record: 0-0

The Victor Blue Devils return all but two starters. They will look to redeem last year’s New York State AA championship loss against Long Beach. The Blue Devils will be led by sophomore RS/Setter Emma Werkmeister. Werkmeister was selected first-team All-State in 2018 and will be supported by senior OH Mikayla McFadden and class of 2022 MB Helen Qian.

4. Barnstable (Hyannis, Massachusetts) Current Record: 0-0

5. Newton North (Newtonville, Massachusetts) Current Record: 0-0

6. Hollis-Brookline (Hollis, New Hampshire) Current Record:

Last season, Hollis-Brookline won the New Hampshire D1 state championship, making it four straight championships. If that wasn’t enough, they also beat Newton North, the back to back Massachusetts D1 champions. Replacing seven seniors is no small task, but Hollis-Brookline’s pedigree shows they have no issues rebuilding year after year.

7. Bald Eagle Area (Wingate, Pennsylvania) Current Record: 0-0

Pennsylvania’s AA state champions, Bald Eagle Area High return their entire roster including five who received All-State recognition. Five returning seniors, including two time all-state selections 5-10 OH Grace Hugar and 5-11 S Madison Rockey, will lead the Eagles this Fall.

Green Hope (Cary, North Carolina) Current Record: 8-0 Green Hope High won the North Carolina 4A title for the third consecutive year in 2018. Graduating five seniors should not make a significant impact on the team as they return 10 players from last year’s championship roster. This year’s team is comprised of only juniors and seniors, the core of which started as freshmen and won Green Hope’s first State Championship.

Loudoun County (Leesburg, Virginia) Current Record: 0-0

Seven-time consecutive Virginia class 4A champions, Loudoun County High returns all but four seniors from last year’s championship roster. The 11-time state champions will look to continue their winning culture under second-year head coach John Senchak.

3. Princess Anne High (Virginia Beach, Virginia) Current Record: 1-0

Last year’s undefeated Princess Anne team returns this Fall only four seniors short. 2018’s class 6A state champions will be led by Virginia libero of the year Erin Gray along with fellow seniors and all-state honorees S Alyssa Vitale and OH JiJi Lykins.

4. Nation Ford (Fort Mill, North Carolina) Current Record: 5-1

5. Flint Hill (Oakton. Virginia) Current Record: 0-0

6. Wando (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina) Current Record: 5-0

7. Padua Academy (Wilmington, Delaware)Current Record: 0-0

8. Saint John’s College High (Washington D.C)Current Record: 0-0

9. Northwest (Germantown, Maryland) Current Record: 0-0

10. Archmere (Claymont, Delaware) Current Record: 0-0

South Region (AL, FA, GA, LA, MS)

McIntosh (Peachtree City, Georgia) Current Record: 7-1

Pace Academy (Atlanta, Georgia) Current Record: 9-4

The Pace Academy Knights won their second Georgia AAA championship in a row last fall. After graduating 6 seniors, The team’s two best players on the court last year, 5-11 junior S Kalissa Green and 6-3 senior pin Ada Agolli, both return and senior MH Sasha Ratliff, a USD recruit, is eligible after sitting out a year ago due to transfer rules.

3. Hagerty (Oviedo, Florida) Current Record: 0-0

The Hagerty Huskies return seven seniors after losing four from last year. With five NCAA D1 commits on the roster, the Huskies will look to leave their unexpected early exit from the regional finals in the past.

4. Walton (Marietta, Georgia) Current Record: 5-0

5. Leon (Tallahassee, Florida) Current Record: 6-1

6. Trinity Catholic (Ocala, Florida) Current Record: 2-1

7. Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Florida) Current Record: 2-0

8. Spanish Fort (Spanish Fort, Alabama) Current Record: 7-1

9. Bishop McLaughlin (Spring Hill, Florida) Current Record: 3-0

10. Pope John Paul II (Slidell, Louisiana) Current Record: 0-0

Pope
John Paul II graduated no seniors and finished nd returns a
handful of players from injury. The Jaguars have won four D1 state
championships in five years.

Midwest Region (IL, IN, IA, KY, MO, OH, TN)

New Castle (New
Castle, Indiana) Current Record: 2-0

New Castle High returns nearly their entire roster this season. Mabrey Shaffmmaster looks to be a dominant force as OH as her sister Melani Shaffmaster feeds her the ball. Both have been PrepVolleyball.com National Sophomore of the Year picks. MelaniShaffmaster, now a 6-4 senior setter, is headed to Minnesota. The Trojans won the Indiana 3A title in 2018 and now moves to 4A for the 2019 season, but should still be favorites to win again. The Trojans also bring back 6-2 junior middle Laila Smith.

2. Assumption (Louisville, Kentucky) Current Record: 5-0

Assumption won its 21st single-class state title in 2018 and was the consensus national champions. The team graduated eight seniors, six of whom were impact players. Assumption will build around senior OH Anna DeBeer and senior middle Rylee Rader. Both are Top 100 Senior Aces. Rader was PrepVolleyball.com’s 2018 National Junior of the Year.

3. Marist (Chicago, Illinois) Current Record: 2-0

Back to back state champions, the Redhawks return all of their pin hitters including 6-1 senior All-American RS Camryn Hannah, a Top 100 Senior Ace committed to Clemson.

4. Sterling (Sterling Illinois) Current Record: 1-0

The Golden Warriors won the 3A championship last year in their first appearance. The returning players include 6-1 junior OH Brooklyn Borum, 6-1 junior S/RS Breelyn Borum and junior libero Lexi Rodriguez. Four athletes are committed to high-level D1 schools and two are being recruited by high-level D1 schools.

5. Padua Francisiscan (Parma, Ohio) Current Record: 3-0

6. Ursuline Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio) Current Record: 3-0

7. Benet Academy (Lisle, Illinois) Current Record: 2-0

8. Mercy Academy (Louisville, Kentucky) Current Record: 3-1

9. Center Grove (Greenwood, Indiana) Current Record: 5-1

10. Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls, Iowa) Current Record: 1-0

Cedar
Falls has made the state tournament the past four years,
finishing third, second, first and second over that span. Their only
loss all season came against Ankeny Centennial in the 5A
championship match. Returning seniors are 6-0 OH Akacia Brown,
a great hitter and Mississippi State commit; and 5-11 setter
Emerson Green, who will play basketball at UNI.Dayton
commit Alayna Yates, a 6-4 middle; and 5-10 libero Kirsten
Graves round out the top returners.

Upper Midwest Region (MI, MN, ND, SD, WI)

Mercy
(Farmington Hills, Michigan) Current Record: 8-0

Mercy reached as far as the Division 1 Final Four last fall but fell short of their first state title. Outside of two OH’s the rest of a very roster returns. The big names this season will be OH Jess Mruzik, and junior setter Julia Bishop. Mruzik, who is committed to Michigan, will miss 10 days of the season while playing for the USA Youth National Team in Egypt. The Marlins boast four committed Division I players as well as a gang of able-bodied talent ready to make this their year.

2. Eagan (Eagan, Minnesota) Current Record: 1-0

The Eagan Wildcats climbed to the Minnesota AAA title tilt for the sixth straight season in 2018 but found their dreams dashed by Champlin Park. They are heavy favorites to capture their eighth state championship in 2019 with a strong core returning including three seniors, MB/OH Christine Jurgens, libero Kaylin Madison and OH Ling Wong, all will contribute heavily to Eagan’s cause, but the big bad wolf this season will be junior Kennedi Orr. The Nebraska recruit, who sets and hits for Eagan, was the Gatorade Player of the Year last fall and is one of the top handfuls of players in the 2021 class in the nation.

The Eagles captured their first Division 2 title in school history and won 24 straight sets in their post-season run to the championship. Senior setter Jordyn Gates, an Arkansas recruit, will fight alongside outsides Addie VanderWeide, a junior; and 6-2 Evie Doezema, a sophomore; as well as senior middle Ayva Kooistra. A transfer, 6-0 junior RS Stephanie Stewart will serve as added support to the team.

4. River Falls (River Falls, Wisconsin) Current Record: 4-0

5. Arrowhead (Hartland, Wisconsin) Current Record: 0-0

6. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minnesota) Current Record: 2-0

7. Oconomowoc (Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) Current Record: 1-0

8. Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wisconsin) Current Record: 3-0

9. Century (Bismark, North Dakota) Current Record: 0-0

10. Lakeville South (Lakeville, Minnesota) Current Record: 2-0

Great Plains Region (CO, KS, NE, OK, UT)

Skutt Catholic
(Omaha, Nebraska) Current Record: 0-0

Winning the Class B state title in 2018 made four in a row for the Skyhawks. Skutt must replace Lily Heyne and Sydney McDermott, two very strong players. Shayla McCormick, a 6-0 OH, suffered a season-ending ACL injury at the end of the club season. Setter Allie Gray (an Arizona State recruit), OH Megan Skovsende (Creighton) and OH Lindsay Krause (Nebraska) will share the load this season along with two other returning starters in DS Lauren Diederich and RS/MB Cameron Cartwright.

2. Millard North (Omaha, Nebraska) Current Record: 0-1

The 2018 Class A state champion Millard North Mustangs graduated five seniors. The back to back champs will be led by OH McKenna Ruch, one of four in the class of 2020 to start for the Mustangs along with setter Izzy Lukens, outside Eve Fountain and middle Molly Plahn, who have played in three straight championship matches.

3. Chaparral (Parker, Colorado) Current Record: 1-1

4. Rampart (Colorado Springs, Colorado) Current Record: 1-0

Rampart returns senior libero Grace Wilkinson and 6-3 junior OH Riley Simpson, a Baylor commit. The Rams also have impact sophomores 6-2 middle Brielle Edwards and 6-4 RS Hadleigh Richardson. The arrival of Bishop Gorman transfer Anjelina Starck will be the ultimate game-changer for the team. The Vegas transplant stands 6-3 and is a very well rounded player. A junior Penn State commit, she holds the potential to become the best player in Colorado.

5. Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kansas) Current Record: 0-0

6. Lansing (Lansing, Kansas) Current Record: 0-0

7. Cherokee Trail (Aurora, Colorado) Current Record: 2-0

8. Saint James Academy (Lenexa, Kansas) Current Record: 0-0

9. Lone Peak (Lone Peak, Utah) Current Record: 0-0

10. Valor Christian (Lands Ranch, Colorado) Current Record: 1-0

Southwest Region (AZ, AR, NV, NM, TX)

Plano West
(Plano, Texas) Current Record: 20-4

Plano West graduates two seniors, and has started off the season at 20-4 in all matches. With seven starters returning, the Wolves are hungry and have five D1 commits to help them hunt for a state championship. OH Jill Pressly will lead the pack, already holding multiple school records.

2. Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas) Current Record: 19-0

Byron Nelson is undefeated in all play so far this season. The Bobcats reached a 6A regional final before being upset by Flower Mound, the team that went on to take the state title. Only two starters graduated, leaving two of the absolute best six-rotation players in the country, senior Paige Flickinger ( last year’s Gatorade Player of the year) and junior Charitie Luper, to drive the boat. The Bobcats already have wins over Iolani, Harvard-Westlake and Santa Margarita and a lone loss to #1 Redondo Union.

3. Flower Mound (Flower Mound, Texas) Current Record: 18-3

Despite early losses to Mansfield, Sachse, and PlanoWest, Flower Mound still holds the potential to repeat their 6A state championship performance from last season. The Jaguars graduated three starters, but still have two top scorers in juniors Kaylee Cox and Angelique Cyr, who tallied just under 1,000 kills last season.

4. Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas) Current Record: 26-4

5. Ridge Point (Missouri City, Texas) Current Record: 20-3

6. Hamilton (Chandler Arizona) Current Record: 0-0

7. The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas) Current Record: 27-2

8. Prosper (Prosper, Texas) Current Record: 11-5

9. Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas) Current Record: 15-5

10. Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) Current Record: 25-4

Northwest Region (AL, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Bonneville
(Idaho Hills, Idaho) Current Record: 0-0

Last year the Bonneville Bees came up inches short to Century High in the 4A final, but with three long time starters returning Bonneville has a chance to turn things around in 2019. The Setter Alexis McMurtrey, OH Makayla Sorensen and MB Sadie Lott are considered some of the best at their position in the entire state.

2. Madison (Rexburg, Idaho) Current Record: 0-0

The 2018 Idaho 5A state champions earned their program’s first state title in volleyball for the school 1992. Madison graduates only 2 starters and returns the core group including junior OH Charity Wilson, pins Macie Gordon and Baylee Peterson, 6-1 junior middle Sidney Parker and senior libero Lexi Weaver. The Bobcats also have two freshmen, 6-1 middle Maddilyn Wilcox and setter Kinley Kerbs.

3. Cokeville (Cokeville, Wyoming) Current Record: 0-0

The Panthers have now won back to back 1A state championships and 23 in total, seven of which have come in the last 12 years. Losing only three starters, Cokeville returns four starting players from last year’ championship team. Having eight players on their roster, the Panthers will have to hope to stay health down the stretch to get another crack at a state title.

4. Century (Pocatello, Idaho) Current Record: 0-0

5. Dimond (Anchorage, Alaska) Current Record: 9-0-3

6. West Linn (West Linn, Oregon) Current Record: 0-0

7. Jesuit (Portland, Oregon) Current Record: 0-0

8. West Valley (Yakima, Washington) Current Record: 0-0

9. Richland (Richland, Washington) Current Record: 0-0

10. Central Catholic (Portland, Oregon) Current Record: 0-0

West Region (CA, HI)

Redondo
Union
(Redondo Beach, California) Current Record: 8-0

PrepVolleyball.com’s #1 in preseason rankings, the Sea Hawks return senior libero and Texas recruit Nalani Iosia. They also have one of the top junior setters in the country, 6-0 Kami Miner, and a top freshmen in the country, 6-1 Mele-Corral Blagojevich.That is just the tip of the iceberg. They won the Ann Kang Invitational in Hawaii all without dropping a single set.

2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) Current Record: 3-0

Four seniors will lead the Monarchs in 2019. Two are Top 100 Senior Aces, setter Mia Tuaniga and 6-3 MB Meg Brown. Senior OH Reagan Mark, who had 150 kills a year ago is also back as well as 6-2 RS/MB Lauren Tarnoff, a talented transfer who missed last year with an ACL tear.

3. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, California) Current Record: 7-2

Having only graduated two starters, CathedralCatholic appears ready to compete for a sixth state title overall and first since winning Division II in 2016. Five seniors committed to Division I schools, lead seven returning starters including 6-2 OH MaddieEndsley (committed to Washington) and 6-4 MH LindseyMiller (NotreDame). The Dons return both setters, 5-10 KylieAdams (WakeForest) and 6-1 TeresaAtilano (OldDominion), as well as 6-1 middle SydneyMoor (Cornell).